Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-11-17
ALLAN QUARTERNAIp.
Or
A BROWNING CITY

founded hippopotami, but it is not on that
account to be supposed that our sacr;lege
was forgotten, or the enmity of the great
and powerful priesthood, headed by Agon,
appeased. On the contrary, it was burning
the more fercely because it was necessarily
suppressed; and what had begun in bigotry
was ending in downright direct hatred,
born of jealousy. Hitherto, the priests had
been the wise men of the land, and were,
on this account, as well as from supersti-
t1ous causes, looked on with peculiar ven
Grafton. But our arrival with our out
landlsh wisdom, and our strange inyen-
tons and hints of unimagined things, dealt
serious blow to this state of affairs and,
TO use vulgar language, went far towards
upsettlng the sacerdotal applicant. A
still worse affront to them, however, was
the favor with which we were regarded,
and the trust that was reposed in us All
these things tended to make us excessively
obnoxious to the great priestly clan, the
most powerful because the most united
faction in the kingdom.
Another source of imminent danger to us
was the rising envy of some of the great
lords, headed by Nasta, whose antagonism
to us had at best been but thlnly yelled.
and which now threaten d to break out
into open fame. Nasta had for some years
been candidate for Nyleptha's hand in
marriage, and when we appeared on the
scene, fancy, from all I could gather, that
though there were still many obstacles in
HIS path, success was by no means out of
his reach. But now all this had changed;
the coy Nyleptha smiled no more in his di-
rection, and he was not slow to guess the
cause. Infatuated and alarmed, he turned
his attention to Sorais, only to find that he
might as well try to WOO mountain-side.
With a bitter jest or two about his tickle
ness, the door was closed on him for ever.
So Nasta bethought him of the thirty
thousand wild swordsmen who would pour
down at his bidding through the northern
mountain passes, and, no doubt, vowed to
adorn the gates of Milosis with our heads.
But first he determined, as we learned
to make one more attempt, and to demand
the hand Of Nyleptha in the open court af
ter the formal annual ceremony OF the
signing of the laws that had been pro-
claimed by the queens during the year.
OF this astounding fact Nyleptha heard
with simulated nOnchalance, and with a
little trembling of the voice herself in
formed us of it as we sat at supper on the
night preceding the great ceremony of the
law-signing.
Sir Henry bit his lip, and, do what he
could TO prevent it, plainly showed his ag-
itation.
"And what answer will the queen be
pleased to give to the great lord?' asked I,
in a jesting manner.
answer, Macumazahn?" (for we had
elected to pass by our Zulu names in Zu-
Vendis), she said, with pretty shrug of
her ivory shoulder. NAY, l know not;
what is a poor woman to do, when the
wooer has thirty thousand swords where
with to urge his lover and from under her
long lashes she glanced at Curtis.
Just then rose from the table to
adjourn into another room. Quarter
main, a word, quick" said Sir Henry to
me. Listen; L have never spoken about
it, but surely you have guessed; love Ny
1eptha What am [ to do?"
Fortunately, had more or less already
taken the question into consideration, and
was therefore able to give such answer as
seemed the wisest to me.
"You must speak to Nyleptha tonight, y
/ said. "Now is your time-now or never.
Listen, in the sitting room get near to her
and whisper to her to meet you at mid
night by the Rademas statue at the end of
the great hall will keep watch for you
there. Now or never. Curtis"
We passed on into the other room. Ny
leptha was sitting, her hands before her,
and sad, anxious look upon her lovely
face A little way off was Sorais, talking
to Good in her slow, measured tones
The time went on; in another quarter of
an hour / knew that, according to theiI
habit, the queens would retire. AS yet,
Sir Henry had had no chance of saying a
word in private; indeed, although we saw
much of the royal sisters, it was by no
means easy to see them alone. [ racked
my brains, and at last an idea came to me.
Twill the queen be pleased, said, bow
ing low before Sorais, ''to sing unto her
servants? Our hearts are heavy this night;
sing to us, oh, Lady Of the Night" (Sorais
favorite name among the people,.
MY songs, Macumazahn, are not such
as to tighten the heavy heart, yet will /
sing if it pleases thee" she answered, and
she rose and went a few PAGES to a table,
wherein lay an instrument, not unlike
either, and struck a few wandering chords.
Then, suddenly, like the notes of some
deep-throated bird, her rounded voice rang
out in song so wildly sweet, and yet with
so weird and sad q refrain, that it made
the very blood stand still. Up. up scared
the golden notes, that seemed to melt far
away, and then to grow again and travel
on, laden with all the sorrow of the world
and all the despair of the lost. 1t was a
marvellous song, but I had not time to lis
ten to it properly However, 1 got the
words of it afterward, and here is trans
lation of its burden, so far as it admits Of
being translated at all.
SORAIS' SONG.
AS q desoiate bird that through darkness its
lost way is winging,
As a hand that is helplessly raised when
Deaths sickle is swinging,
So is lifel ay, the life that lends passion and
breath to my singing.
AS the nightineale's song that is full of
sweetness unSpoken,
AS spirit unbarring the gates of the skies
for a token,
So is love! ay. the love that shall fall when his
pinion is broken.
AS the tramp of the legions when trumpets
their challenge are sending,
AS the shout of the storm-god when lightnings
the black sky are rending,
So is powerl ay, the power that shall lie in the
dust at its ending.
So short is our life; yet with space for all
things to fOrSake US